The conductivity of a solution is an expression of the capacity of that solution to conduct an electric current. Distilled or de-ionised water will conduct virtually no electricity at all and will therefore have a conductivity reading of zero. As salts are dissolved in the water so the conductivity of the solution increases.
The conductivity of a nutrient solution is therefore a measurement of its strength as indicated by the actual amount of salts dissolved. Conductivity is usually expressed in terms of CF. CF stands for Conductivity Factor and the units of measurement are usually milliSiemens, microSiemens or Siemens. The difference between these is purely in the placing of the decimal point. There are a thousand microSiemens in a milliSiemen. A CF unit is equal to a hundred microSiemens so there are 10 CF units to a milliSiemen.
The conductivity of a nutrient solution is therefore a measurement of its strength as indicated by the actual amount of salts dissolved. Conductivity is usually expressed in terms of CF. CF stands for Conductivity Factor and the units of measurement are usually milliSiemens, microSiemens or Siemens. The difference between these is purely in the placing of the decimal point. There are a thousand microSiemens in a milliSiemen. A CF unit is equal to a hundred microSiemens so there are 10 CF units to a milliSiemen.
